Pressure
by starlitkoneko
Summary: Katsuya doesn't like lying to Yuugi, but Seto's strange behaviour is making it harder to keep their relationship secret.  AU / Puppyshipping / hints of Wishshipping / sequel to 'Sensitive'.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** You don't have to read 'Sensitive' to understand this, but it might help. This was supposed to be a one-shot but, as usual, I developed too much 'story' and so I've decided to break it into three chapters. I had briefly considered omitting the subplot and posting just the puppyshipping parts but I like the subplot . even if it is making it more difficult to bring the fic to an end. Considered AU for inclusion of animal ears & tails on the characters.  
>Standard disclaimer; I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!. It wouldn't be half as likeable if I did. <p>

* * *

><p>"You're getting a lot better, Anzu," Yuugi commented, not without an air of nervousness. I suppressed a grin as my eyes shifted from the cards in his hand to the ones on the field. Unsurprisingly, Yuugi could have wiped the floor with her by now, but you know how it is when you're in love.<p>

I leaned forward, peering over Yuugi's shoulder to make it seem as though he really needed help. Anzu's smile suggested that she knew he was bluffing, but she wasn't too proud to not see why. Even though the spirit of the puzzle was still in the picture, Yuugi would continue fighting to win Anzu's heart.

Staring intently at Yuugi's cards, I didn't notice Anzu's eyes shift toward the door. My tail was swishing behind me contentedly, then suddenly a familiar hand touched my backside and stroked down the length of plush, blonde fur. My face was instantly red but the lack of reaction from my peers told me he had somehow managed to grope me without getting caught, so I stayed hidden behind Yuugi's cards.

"Jounouchi?" Yuugi turned in question to my proximity, "are you okay?"

I closed my eyes tight, knowing his question would draw the others' attention to me. Obvious as it was, I lied, "yeah, Yuuge, I'm fine."

Yuugi nodded; his levels of compassion were unmatched, and that simple gesture of acceptance was enough to prevent our friends from persisting. He went on with his duel as though nothing had happened, playing a strong monster even though Anzu had set an obvious trap. I allowed my gaze to wander to the middle of the class and rest momentarily on a certain tall brunette. As per usual, he had his nose in some book that I doubted he actually enjoyed, but his tail was twitching with an odd energy and his sharp eyes seemed quite interested in his reading material. Without warning they snapped in my direction and, though I couldn't see his mouth, I knew he was smirking. I resisted showing any sign of shock but my animal extremities stood on edge; thankfully, the teacher appeared before anyone could ask me if I was alright again.

Seto didn't normally approach me during the school day. As far as my friends knew, nothing had ever changed between us and he still hated me. Seto knew I disliked lying to them, but I don't think either of us expected our relationship to progress as far as it had.

Before his illness, our day-to-day was flawlessly familiar. He would toss an insult or two my way, I would get riled up, and our friends (mostly Yuugi) would play peacekeeper. Since the moment Seto returned those three words, however, something changed. In public, he took to ignoring me as though I didn't even exist. Anzu and Honda saw this as a loss of interest in teasing me, but Yuugi – being a pacifist once again – commented that it seemed more like the first stages of a peace-treaty.

He always was just a little too observant.

Shortly before lunch, I went to the bathroom. It had become a habit and, every once in a while, Seto would time my leave and bump into me on my way back. After the risky touch he'd stolen that morning, I was almost certain he'd come looking for a quick hallway kiss… but you never know with him. Nevertheless, I trudged slowly back to class, thinking about anything and yet nothing. I was so lost in thought that I nearly missed his approach, but before I could smile and say his name he continued briskly past.

I blinked stupidly, then turned quickly and reached up for his shoulder. He spun around, holding his arm out in front of himself defensively; I even saw the grip on his briefcase handle momentarily tighten before he recognized me and relaxed.

He had his cellphone to his ear with his far hand and said quietly, "I'll call you back," then hung up and pocketed the device. His gaze fell on me from above, seeming tired and distant. His voice echoed these feelings, but at least some of his love showed in the way he said my name. "What is it, Katsuya?"

For a moment, my voice was lost. His eyes trailed to the watch on his wrist then back to me, seeming even wearier. He opened his mouth to speak but I hastily interrupted. "Where are you going?"

His eyes brightened for a second and his tail gave an energetic flick, then he looked down the hall and the light faded again. He didn't seem to want to answer me but before I could pry he turned back and looked the way he'd come. Content to see we were alone, he touched the side of my face and claimed my lips in a gentle caress that made my knees weak.

We knew better than to make an in-school kiss last, but he was usually the voice of reason in that department. On that day, he made a distinct whine in the back of his throat that meant only one thing; he was losing control. If we weren't as risk, I'd have gladly given in; when his lips were pressed harder against mine, however, I had to ignore temptation and break away.

His eyes opened slowly and I could see they were still clouded with desire. Thinking quickly, I moved away from the wall and circled around him; his gaze followed me and slowly, almost reluctantly, he took in his surroundings. With a scoff he was his old self again, using the tips of two long fingers to nudge his uniform sleeve up and check his watch again.

"I have to go, Katsuya," he said plainly. The use of my name assured me that I wasn't the problem, but his next words made me doubtful, "don't come by today."

Without running or even breaking out of a stroll, he was down the hall before I could ask any questions.

At lunch, Yuugi asked if I'd seen Kaiba on my way back to class. I thought about saying I hadn't, then decided instead to say yes, but deny that we'd spoken. Yuugi was doubtful, but that was the last time anyone brought up my beloved brunette.

He didn't come back. After lunch, I waited, staring at the door and focusing on schoolwork less than usual. I must have dozed off gazing out that door because I even imagined him walking through and taking his place at his desk, opening his briefcase and wordlessly joining along with the lesson. The teachers wouldn't say anything, of course – he had some kind of immunity. A thwack on my desk and a stern call of my name later, everyone knew that I had been lost in thought, but Yuugi was the only one who seemed concerned.

"Jounouchi," my vertically-challenged best friend called meekly. It was strange for him to address me so timidly, but it was also strange for me to try and leave school without a word. I sighed.

"Sorry, Yuuge. I can't hang out today."

He wrinkled his nose disbelievingly. "Why not? What's going on, Jounouchi?"

I looked away, my ears hung low and my tail hugged my leg submissively. I wasn't as obvious as Seto but I, too, hated my animal extremities. Aside from how expressive they were, I had an inner contempt for being compared to a dog.

Yuugi, whose extremities were those of a rabbit, didn't have much problem at all. His fluffy tail was hardly noticeable, and his ears often blended with his bizarre hairstyle. His only complaint was that they made him look childish, yet when he switched with the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle they somehow became sexy. I had laughed at him for this and told him he was being silly, but we both knew that was a lie. The boy was indeed cursed.

"Jou~nou~chi~?" he chimed, standing in front of me now and lifting to his tiptoes in an effort to get any closer. His hand waved before my eyes and I realized I'd zoned out again. I grabbed his wrist then grinned and stroked one long, black, furry ear that had cocked off to the side observantly. He sighed girlishly and his cheeks tinted pink. That was another thing I didn't get – everyone's ears were sensitive to touch, except those with a dog's. Ours were sensitive at the base and a well-placed scratch could make us melt, but a simple touch did naught.

Though his blush was fading, that glimpse of sensuality brought warmth to my lower body. I leaned over and planted a feathery kiss on his nose; it brought the pink back to his cheeks but this time he was smiling. I could only give a half-smile in return.

"I'll see you tomorrow, pal," I ran a hand along the outer spikes of his hairdo, tussling them a bit but whatever he did to make them stick certainly worked. Before he could protest again, I broke into a quick jog.

Seto's demand echoed in my head. _Don't come by today_, it warned repeatedly, but I was already halfway to KaibaCorp when I realized that was my destination. After a long internal struggle, I turned back and ran home.

My pride wouldn't let me call Yuugi, so I struggled through my homework and hit the hay early that night. I dreamt of Seto kissing me in the hall, as he'd done, but this time I didn't pull away. Our kiss became deeper, more passionate, and he dropped his briefcase in favor of sliding that hand up my shirt and caressing my stomach. He likes that part of me for some reason; he likes to touch it and kiss it and watch the way my muscles tighten when…

I let out a moan, a grade-A mistake in the halls of your school, but Seto had latched his teeth onto my neck and was teasing the skin with his tongue. I was against the wall now, sandwiched between it and my lover who was making no efforts to hide his excitement. I could tell from the way he continually tried to mold our hips together that he was begging for release and his desperation made me forget where we were. I slid a hand into the pants of his uniform (that word caught in my mind a moment) and delicately wrapped my fingers around his length.

He let go of my neck and attacked my lips hungrily as I began stroking him. The angle was hard to work with but he didn't seem to care as long as he was being touched. When our kiss broke we were panting and my lips were wet with saliva that could have been his or mine. Without second thought I nudged him back and dropped to my knees, briefly exposing his length before taking it into my mouth. He arched back, moaned my name, tangled his fingers in my hair and grazed his nails on that special spot behind my ear. In that moment it didn't matter if I remembered where we were because I no longer cared; all that mattered now was making my lover release.

I usually took my time when pleasing him this way, moving slowly along his length and caressing it with my tongue, but he was behaving hastily and didn't hold back when he came. The only warning I had was a twitch in his hand before he gripped a lock of my hair tightly and moaned my name as warm fluid spilled into my mouth and down my throat. When his grip relaxed, I pulled away and licked my lips, grinning up at him as I did so. He was blushing and fixing his pants when a small voice made us freeze in place.

"Kaiba?" it said first then, more accusatively, "Jounouchi?"

I didn't need to see who it was. The depth and horrifying solidity of his voice was enough to jolt me awake when he said my name. I looked around frantically, convinced he was somewhere in my room. Once I had ascertained I was alone I ran the back of my hand across my forehead, grimacing at the dampness there. While wiping the perspiration from my hand, I realized I was still in my uniform and groaned when I felt it sticking to my body. With the dream regrettably still on my mind, I peeled my clothes off and left them inside-out by the broken window over my bed, hoping they would air-dry sufficiently by the next day.

I checked the time and decided it would be okay to take a shower. As I crossed the small, untidy room, I caught sight of the cellphone Seto had bought for me, but more importantly the message alert.

The first text was from Yuugi; an apology for being nosy and a reminder that he 'loved' and was looking out for me. Of course, he used the L-word meaning just as friends (and had been doing so for a while) but at that moment it jogged thoughts of my dream and I couldn't bring myself to form a reply.

The second was from Seto. _Sorry about today, pup. Love you._

That one made me feel better. I replied, _love you, too._

I didn't say it was okay. I didn't _know_ if it was okay.

After my shower I felt better. I hung my uniform up properly and I sent a generic reply to Yuugi saying I understood and thanks for not being pushy. There was a long pause before he responded, during which he struggled to not ask what I was up to (I don't know this for sure but I'd bet my deck on it). Instead, he asked if I'd done my homework.

I glanced at the uniform more than once, wondering if I should suck it up and tell him everything. I began typing a message that said there _was_ something I needed to talk about and Seto's radar must have kicked in because he called and interrupted the message. For the first time since he'd given me the phone, I wondered if it was tapped.

"Hello?" a generic answer even though I knew who it was. I swear I heard his teeth click.

"Hey, pup," his voice was strained. I think my greeting got to him. "You can come over now if you want."

I looked at the clock again. It was too late to leave, and he knew it. "I haven't finished my homework."

I could practically _hear_ him grip the phone tighter. "Don't lie to me."

I thought about Yuugi; I'd told _him_ that I finished it. The thought that my boyfriend was monitoring me reared its ugly head higher, but there's a process to that sort of thing, right? Seto _can_ access the texting records (he's the one paying for the line after all) but even he can't see them that quickly… right?

I looked at the clock again. It was significantly later than when I had gone in for my shower, but I hadn't checked it when I came out. Had I been talking to Yuugi longer than I thought? Or, maybe, Seto had the line hooked up to one of his personal computers! He certainly has enough of them lying around…

"…suya? Kat-su-ya!" his echoing voice brought me back to my right mind. "Damn it, answer me!"

"I'm here, Seto," I said in a voice that did little to mask my distraction. Then, before I could stop myself I asked, "you're not… using this phone to spy on me, are you?"

"Don't be stupid," there had been a pause, but it was just normal shock. "Where's your head tonight, pup?"

"In the clouds," I said tiredly. "I had a dream about us."

I heard the phone shift as it was pinned to the side of his head with his shoulder. He was no longer interested enough to hold it with his hands; they were now typing away on a laptop. "Was I good?"

I stifled a laugh; he was almost certainly smirking. His self-centeredness had become something of a joke between us, and it was good to hear him joke. Though I tried to hide it, my voice was tight. "It didn't get that far."

Another shift. The phone was in his hand again. "What happened?"

_Yuugi caught us_, my mind said simply. "We were at school, where you kissed me today."

He relaxed again. "Got to you that much, did I?"

Again 'I', not 'it', but there was less arrogance this time. I rolled with it, "I recall being the one in control."

"Tch," he scoffed, "I was hornier than usual. Don't let it go to your head."

I laughed and said that I wouldn't. We didn't talk much longer after that; once he was sure he couldn't get me to sneak out, he seemed to lose interest in the conversation. He still said 'I love you', though, and that was enough for me.

I decided telling Yuugi could wait.


	2. Chapter 2

_Yaoi warning. don't like? don't read. kthx. (also, uke!seto)  
><em>

* * *

><p>Seto wasn't at school the next day, and that was most certainly <em>not<em>okay. I didn't even go to the bathroom before lunch. When the bell tolled and my classmates took off to get in line, Yuugi noticed that I was trailing behind and encouraged the others to go on without us.

"What're you doin, Yuuge?" I regarded him sternly. He winced against my tone then nodded slightly in the way he does when the spirit of the puzzle talks to him.

"I'm worried about you, Jounouchi," he said plainly. "I let it go yesterday, but now you're acting strange again today and I can't…"

I sighed heavily and interrupted him, "this isn't something you can help with, Yuugi."

His long, black ears hung low. I felt a pang of something that wasn't quite guilt and tried to hide my smirk. He looked up hopefully, one ear rising against its own weight. "Can't I try?"

"No," I said firmly, then scooped him up with an arm under his legs the way one might carry a child. In response, he wrapped his arms loosely around my neck. It was another of our private-moment occurrences that had never felt abnormal, but something about his innocent smile made me blush this time.

"Jounouchi," he said concernedly, pressing the back of one hand to my forehead, "are you feeling sick?"

Another pang; this one _was_ guilt. He might be small and sweet but even Yuugi wasn't _that_innocent.

"Yeah," I resisted the urge to say _lovesick_, "I think I might be coming down with something."

Yuugi nodded decidedly, "I think you should get something to eat."

I laughed as genuinely as I could and set him down on the floor, then we went to the lunchroom together.

At the end of the day, Yuugi approached me before I could take off again. I caught sight of him as I was changing back into street shoes and he hung his head submissively.

"I guess you can't hang out again today, either, huh?"

I grinned and tousled his hair with a little more vigor than before. "No can do, buddy. I promise we'll do something together soon, though."

_If you still want to be friends, that is._

Yuugi sensed the underlying worry, I could tell, but must have figured he'd done enough prying as of late. He nodded firmly and gave a semi-forced smile. "I'll hold you to that, you know."

I closed one eye and gave him a thumbs-up before breaking into a jog again.

I was normally greeted with a smile in private but, that day, Seto was less than thrilled to see me.

"You shouldn't show up here unannounced," he warned. "I gave you that phone for a reason."

I shook my head, keeping a stern gaze, "I didn't want you to tell me I couldn't come."

"Jounou…" he started; I felt my tail bristle. Since he'd started using my given name, he only called me by my surname when he was mad at me.

Firmly, I interrupted. "We need to talk."

One ear cocked to the side carelessly while the other was listening to something in the background. "I'm working," he started to close the door on me. "It can wait."

Angrily, I stepped forward enough to block the doorframe and stare him down. His ears bent back sharply and he began to speak but Mokuba suddenly appeared behind him.

"Seto!" the smaller, raven-haired Kaiba chirped. He was waving some papers in the air and handed them to his big brother, "the workers printed out the schematics for the… oh, hi, Katsu-_nii_."

I gave the boy a weak smile and gestured toward our shared love. Mokuba nodded slowly, backed away, but could not stop his black tail from swishing interestedly. When he was out of sight, Seto looked to me, his blue eyes holding a cold stare that was not as icy as it'd once been.

"Come back tonight," he said slowly, glancing at the papers in his hand. He reconsidered, "I'll call you."

Though dejected, I knew there was no changing his mind. After being shut out I leaned back against the door, staring at the distant sky above. It was nice enough to enjoy the walk back, but that didn't make it any more inviting. Still, I shoved off the door and began my stroll.

The sun had lowered in the sky enough to rob its pale blue hues of their luster and turn them into something dull that signaled the approaching night. I hadn't gone home, the walk would have been too far just to turn around and go back; instead I went to one of the parks that skirted town. As I sat on a bench and plopped my briefcase in my lap, I debated trying to do some homework. There was a slight breeze, nothing strong enough to take my papers away from me, but I found it difficult to concentrate. I looked up at the sound of voices that stood out from the others and saw a couple sit down on another bench across the field. They looked only a little older than me. They had some kind of frozen treat in their hands and occasionally shared with each other between laughs. My tail waved listlessly and I felt a sad smile cross my lips as I realized there was more to keeping my relationship private than just lying to my friends… it was almost like we were lying to ourselves.

I leaned back in the bench and closed my eyes. I don't think I fell asleep, but I definitely strayed from consciousness and couldn't say how much time had passed before my cellphone woke me up.

"Seto?" I answered without thinking, putting my effort into not sounding sleepy. There was a long pause.

"Jounouchi?" the timid reply came at last, and all at once I was awake.

"Yuuge? What're you callin' me for?"

He swallowed hard and when he spoke his voice was still small, "I was… worried."

The last word was practically a whisper, but I caught it. I sighed, "Didn't I tell you not to do that?"

There was a sound like he'd brushed on the speaker. "Where are you?"

I tensed up and took the offensive, "where are _you_, Yuugi?"

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, forcefully, "I went to see you at your house after you left, I just couldn't shake that feeling I had! But then your dad answered and said you hadn't come home yet…" he slowed to a quiet tremble, "he said if you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't bother coming home at all."

A breeze rolled by and I heard that brushing sound on Yuugi's end again. He was still outside. "So, then what? You went looking for me? By yourself?"

He took in a sharp breath. I think he wanted to snap at me for insinuating that he shouldn't be alone, but he must have thought better of it. "Yes, Jounouchi. I'm looking for you, so please, tell me where you are."

I checked my watch. It had been over two hours since I'd last spoken to Seto. "You should go home, pal. I'm fine where I am, and I've got somewhere else to be soon so I won't even be here by the time you would."

"Where are you going?" he all but demanded. Having heard the worry he was trying to mask, I couldn't get mad at him. He was walking now, I could hear that too. "Where are you now? I might be close to you."

"I'm in town," I said sharply. "If you've come that far from home, Yuugi, _I'm_ going to be the one worrying about _you_."

His footsteps stopped and he sighed. "I'm not, Jounouchi. I looked everywhere between your place and mine before I called you. I'm not that f-" my phone beeped, "home."

"Just a sec, bud," I checked the caller-ID; it was Seto, so I switched lines. "Hey."

"Hi," it was so automatic that it sounded silly. I suppressed a laugh. "I'm coming to get you now."

"I'm not home," I said quickly then explained my location. He either wasn't surprised or didn't want to be on the phone.

"Stay there, pup. Be there soon."

"Seto?"

"Yeah, pup?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, Katsuya."

Even though it had been brief, my chest felt lighter and I couldn't stop smiling. I switched back to the other line and forgot to mask my voice, "still there, Yuuge?"

"Y…yeah," he started, then said rather suspiciously, "you sound happier."

"I told you not to worry, didn't I?"

He sighed. "Are you going to have a roof over your head tonight?"

"If all goes well," I spoke more to myself than to him.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Look, Yuugi, I know you're just looking out for me but you really need to trust me," I lectured more harshly than I'd intended. I smiled and added softly, "If I end up needing somewhere to go, I'll come to you."

I could just imagine his long ears lifting hopefully. "You promise?"

I nodded even though he couldn't see it. "I promise."

A thoughtful pause, but his voice at least held traces of a smile. "Okay, I won't bother you again."

"Not tonight, anyway?" I teased. I thought of him blushing and had an involuntary bodily reaction.

"Not tonight," he trailed off. I thought he was dreading saying goodbye, but there was apparently one more question on his tongue. "Jounouchi, when you answered the phone…"

I jumped and did my best not to stammer, "m-my ride's here, Yuuge. Gotta go!"

I heard him call the first syllable of my name as I hung up, but that conversation couldn't take place over the phone. It just couldn't.

Seto arrived less than five minutes later, but they were five painfully long minutes. My heart pounded every time I heard a sound that even remotely resembled my ringtone, and my head swam with a variety of emotion. As soon as I saw the car park, I jumped up and approached it. Seto was driving himself and had opted for something a little less flashy than his limos, but it was unmistakably a vehicle that no one else in town would own. I crawled into the passenger seat quickly then we were out of the parking space and heading back to the mansion.

"Aren't you cold, mutt?" he taunted, briefly observing that I hadn't changed.

"Not really," I said. It had gotten chilly when the sun lowered but I hadn't noticed a response in my temperature. He made a short sound akin to a laugh.

"Suit yourself," then, distastefully, "that uniform's filthy. When was the last time you washed it?"

I thought of my dream and blushed, suddenly thankful for the waning light. I looked out the window silently then my phone went off in my pocket. It was just a text message so I took it out but before I could read it or even see who it was from, Seto snatched it from my hand and turned it off.

"You won't be needing that tonight," he decided, dropping it in the compartment between the seats. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk as he added, "you probably won't need that uniform either."

When we got to the mansion I reached for my phone but he grabbed my wrist and wagged the other finger in a demeaning, preventative way. He leaned across the seats, kissed me briefly, then backed out of the car and called for me to follow. I glanced at the compartment once more before sighing and doing as he wished.

Walking in from the garage always threw me off as it led to an unimpressive hallway before entering one of the mansion's smaller wings. Still, even _that_rivaled the size of my dad's whole apartment (I call it his even though someone else must be paying our rent for us to have continued living there) and it always made me feel trivial. Knowing the halls we now walked made up basically the ass-end of the whole house brought me jealously & shame.

Seto stretched an arm across my back and grasped my waist affectionately. When I looked up, he wasn't even looking at me, but I think he somehow knew the way being here made me feel. I didn't bother asking why he was still with me, that question had never been given a definitive answer. Instead, I asked one I hadn't in a while.

"Seto, what's it like being rich?"

His eyebrows rose quickly and he showed signs of amusement. "It's nice, for the most part."

I knew what those lesser parts were as well as I knew he was lying through his teeth. I glanced up and down the surprisingly bare walls which suddenly disappeared as we crossed into the living room where I'd tended to his illness some time ago. I realized then, feeling stupid for not having noticed before, how utterly empty the whole place felt. I looked at him curiously, "you're not going broke any time soon, right? Why don't you buy more stuff?"

His expression said I'd confused him. "Why should I spend money that can be saved for something else?"

"I'm not saying to blow it all senselessly…" my thought train was interrupted as he pushed me down on the couch rather forcefully and began to crawl over me. My eyes must have widened in shock. "S-seto?"

Nimble fingers worked quickly to unbutton the white shirt which lay exposed beneath my improperly fastened school jacket. "Let's get you out of these rotten clothes, why don't we?"

I fidgeted beneath him while looking around for something to grab onto. Meanwhile, I tried to talk sense into him, "S-soon, Seto! W-we can do this later!"

He darted forward and nipped at my neck, breathing huskily into my ear, "I want to do it now."

I held back a moan, pressed my hands against his chest forcefully as I could, but managed only to jolt him back a bit. He'd been weak the last time I'd resisted him but he was at full strength now and even seemed driven by something more. "S-seto," I pleaded, "stop!"

He growled quite angrily but finally complied. My shirt was completely undone, save the last button, and my lower body was not completely unaffected by his advance. His cat ears laid back in annoyance and his eyes scanned me irately, silently demanding the reason why I'd interrupted him.

I couldn't blame it on Mokuba; even a very horny Seto wouldn't risk exposing his little brother to _that_. I couldn't say I didn't want it; that could easily be disproven. I decided to take the submissive-partner approach. "I don't want to do it here."

Seto huffed but looked around, swishing his tail as though he was considering it. He stepped neatly off me and stood beside the couch, holding a hand out for me to take. "You're right. You deserve better."

I blushed and took his hand; his long fingers curled around my wrist and he pulled me to him possessively. His other hand rose to my head and he grazed his fingertips around the base of my ear. My body shuddered and he smirked, satisfied with the response, then he headed for the stairs which would take us to the second floor.

At risk of killing his mood, I spoke up, "Seto, I don't have a place to stay tonight."

"I figured as much," he replied evenly and without hesitation. I waited for more but it didn't come.

When we reached the master bedroom at last, he pulled on my wrist and threw me against the closed door, claiming my lips in a rather needy kiss and rubbing his body against mine in a way he hadn't before. He broke without explanation and I noticed that his ears were cocked back submissively instead of perked up the way they usually are when we kiss like that. Knowing that asking about it would only anger him, I pushed the observation away and allowed myself to be led into the familiar room. He let go of my wrist at the doorway (but not before tugging me slightly in the direction of the bed) and I walked obediently to the large piece of furniture while he clicked the lights on and adjusted them to a dim, romantic setting.

I sat at the foot of the bed, watching him and catching a rather affectionate glance for doing so. He walked toward the bed slowly but as soon as I was in reach his hands were on me and our mouths were together again. This time I couldn't ignore the differences; Seto was never one to be needy, but there was something positively insatiable about his kiss. His tongue explored my mouth as though it'd never been there before, and when I made efforts to return his passion he would utter aberrant whines. The more my sensitive ears tuned into these sounds, the more they resembled the mewling of a female cat.

His hands fluttered down my body instead of gripping and grabbing as they normally would. They found that last button on my white shirt and did away with it, so I rolled my shoulders to aid him in removing my tops without having to break our kiss. He pulled away from me anyway and tossed the clothing items to the side then lifted my hands and placed them on his waist. I glanced up at him curiously (he never cared to have me remove his shirt), but his eyes were a cloud of emotion that I wasn't sure even he understood. I smiled anyway, hooked my thumbs under the cloth and took the opportunity to run my hands up his sides as I lifted the shirt away. Secretly, his sides are very ticklish and even I don't get to touch them often, but this time he just blushed and lifted his arms obediently so I could remove the tight, black cloth. I leaned forward and kissed his waifish stomach, wondering when the last time was that he'd had a proper meal, but saved that thought for another time and undid his pants.

He rested a hand on the back of my head and waved his long, brown tail in anticipation. While sliding his pants down to his knees, I felt the soft fur brush against the back of my hand. His pants were too tight to drop on their own so I continued pushing them down to his ankles before sitting upright again. Instead of taking hold of what he wanted, I rested one hand on his hip and snatched his fluttering tail with the other. He cried out, the fingers in my hair curled tightly and he straightened as though the sensation had shot up his spine. The tail itself trembled in my hand in a very distinct manner and suddenly I understood what he was going through.

I ran my hand up the length of the tail which continued to shudder until I let it slip free from my hold. The tip snapped back and forth quickly before the whole appendage began to move as one and resumed its previous wave. I looked up at him as his posture began to loosen and couldn't help but grin at the bright blush on his face.

"Seto," I lulled, standing up in the miniscule gap between him and the bed. Our exposed chests were pressed together and I could feel his heartbeat. I slunk an arm around his waist and trailed my fingertips up his spine, earning a low but not-quite-happy purr. I rotated our positions until his back was to the bed and leaned over, forcing him to lie down. My discovery had surely embarrassed him and his body needed coaxing to get back to its previous condition, but a single press of the lips confirmed that his longing had not gone away.

I deepened our kiss, this time taking control and excavating his mouth as he had mine. I reached down and grasped his half-hard member, stroking it gently up and down and brushing my fingertips over the head once or twice to tease him. His limber arms wrapped around me, holding me close for as long as his breath would allow until finally he turned his head to the side and broke our kiss. Immediately I moved downward, leaving a trail of kisses down his neck, chest, and stomach before reaching my destination.

"Kastuya," he breathed, but it was nothing more than a vocal sigh. I cradled his stiffened erection in one hand and ran my tongue from the base all the way up the shaft. He let out a much more appreciate cry than usual and I couldn't tease him any longer. I swallowed his cock obediently and moved slowly up and down, sliding my tongue around and coating every spot I could reach. I felt myself grow painfully stiff as I listened to moans and cries I never knew my Seto could make.

I continued at an increasing pace until his body shuddered lightly and he whispered, "gonna come…"

I couldn't stop the moan that followed but the vibrations they caused brought additional pleasure to Seto and he moaned my name in return. His fingers grabbed at my hair, searching blindly until they found the base of my ear and scratched that sweet spot. I moaned louder and continued the blowjob, anticipating the telltale throbs that came right before he did.

I swallowed compliantly then crawled back up the length of my panting lover's body, lying beside him and brushing a moist lock of hair from his eyes before planting a soft kiss on his lips. Unexpectedly, he turned to kneel over me and remove my pants, casting them to the floor and ignoring me when I whispered his name. He moved slowly and I thought for a moment that he was rethinking his decision but his soft tongue was against my dick before I could question him.

I leaned back and relaxed my body, reveling in the way it felt. When it came to sex, Seto was amazing, but being on the generous end of a blowjob was not something he was familiar with. I made no effort to rush him along as he took me nervously into his mouth, but instead massaged the outer cusp of his cat-ear attentively. In the quiet of the room I could hear his long tail swishing back and forth as he focused on what he was doing, sliding his mouth halfway down my length then moving back up and flicking his tongue across the head in an oddly playful manner. I moaned softly and arched my back, encouraging him to take it further. His lack of a gag reflex made him excellent at deep-throating and when he finally complied I felt an unmatchable bliss.

He continued a minute more until my dick had hardened to the point where its own throbbing hurt. He then crawled over me to his bedside drawer and removed our well-used lubricant bottle. He smiled down at me strangely as he clicked the cap open and drenched his slender fingers then defied my expectations by grasping not his own cock, but mine. My eyes grew wide as I watched him coat my pulsing erection and I felt a burning blush cross my face when he reached around his backside and slipped a finger into himself.

He arched his back slightly and let out a surprised gasp as I watched the healthy skin of his cheeks turn pink. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I could guess from the way his arm moved. I sat up and took the bottle from his hand and he made no effort to stop me as I poured the slippery liquid onto my fingers. As I reached behind him he removed his fingers and rested both hands on my shoulders. The way he knelt enabled me to kiss his stomach and I kept my lips pressed lightly against his skin while gently rubbing his virgin entrance. He breathed my name again then winced and gripped my shoulders when I slipped the first finger inside of him. His body resisted the intrusion and the angle was hard to work with but he remained relaxed as I fingered him gently. Once he'd adjusted I added a second finger though it was considerably more difficult. He cried out and gripped me harder but I hardly noticed the pain. I continued working slowly, patiently, managing to stay aroused by thinking of what was about to happen.

I removed my lips from his stomach and rocked my hand gently back and forth, looking up at his strangely quiet form and smiling when our eyes met. I removed my fingers from their place and he leaned over to kiss me firmly. When he pulled away, his ears were greased back and his eyes were sharp. Despite this defiant stare, he moved forward and knelt over me, lowering his body until the head of my cock was pressed against his ingress. I rested my hands on his hips and he reached beneath himself, wrapping his slender fingers around my cock to hold it still. The sight was enough to rekindle my fire and any stiffness I'd lost while preparing him suddenly returned.

After a moment's hesitation, Seto lowered his body again. His body gave way and he cried out as the head of my erection was suddenly encased by his tight, soft warmth. I grit my teeth against a groan and resisted driving into him but he seemed to adjust quickly enough. He leaned down to kiss me deeply until I was completely inside of him, then he began moving back up and down again. His cock jolted in approval and moments later he was fully erect and riding me like some kind of slut. I found myself gasping his name and gripping his hips tighter in blinding pleasure as his soft walls gripped and released my cock over and over. When he paused, I seized the opportunity to take control. He cried out in surprise and bent forward submissively, calling my name in stammering half-breaths.

"I never would have guessed you liked being fucked like this, Seto," I spoke near his ear huskily. His only response was to cry out again. I licked my lips and pushed him back so I could sit up. He rocked his hips when he was in my lap, grinding me as deep as I could go. I moaned aloud then asked seductively, "would you let me take you like a dog?"

He made an effort to glare at me but his eyes were coated over in lust. "I guess I owe you for all the times you've taken me like a bitch."

I growled and attacked his neck and he let out another of those mewling sounds. He began rolling his hips, effectively keeping me moving inside of him and rubbing his stiff erection against my lower stomach. He moaned and reached between us to grip his own cock and began stroking himself quickly, grazing his fingers along my abdomen as he did so. As his breath quickened and his body tightened around me once or twice, I pulled from his neck and uttered a rather dark laugh.

"Is the big, powerful Seto Kaiba gonna come all over me?"

He groaned loudly but was too close to stop himself and seconds later his walls constricted as he spilled his load between us. Most of it got on my stomach but as he continued to milk himself tiredly the last of it leaked onto his hand and into his lap. He glared at me before I could say anything and lifted himself off of me.

"Think what you want, mutt," he panted as he turned onto his hands and knees. "You don't usually hold out this long."

I smirked and added a fresh coat of lubricant to my softening erection, rubbing it gently as I did so. As I knelt behind my lover and readied to reenter him, I became aroused again and pressed forward with ease. Once more he gasped when my cock slid inside and I was pleased to find him just as tight as before. His long tail held itself off to the side stiffly and despite having come twice Seto wasn't satisfied yet. I didn't need him to whine as I moved slowly in and out of him to know I was tantalizing him, and I didn't need him to moan my name and beg me to fuck him to know that he wanted it. Our animal extremities said everything we didn't say, and Seto's tail told me he was in heat.

Without warning, I tightened my grip on his hips and quickened my pace. He gasped in surprise and laid his head down, arching his back in a way that made him even tighter. I groaned and gave a few hard thrusts, slamming his firm ass against my body every time I went all the way in. He cried out and gripped the sheets tightly but there was only pleasure in his voice. Finally, as my own release grew near, I draped my body over his, wrapped my arms around his slender frame, and pounded into him like the dog he so often said I was.

In that moment, I saw a side of him I'll probably never see again. Bent forward and burying his face in the sheets, crying out as I dominated him, and loving every minute of it. His name danced on the tip of my tongue but I bit it back until the second our bodies slammed together and I came inside of him. His body jolted in shock but he cried out my name and that made it alright.

Even as I removed myself from my lover to lie down, my body was still shaking from the intensity of my orgasm. Seto stayed in his degrading position a bit longer until he composed himself enough to turn around and lay with me. I smiled and tugged the sheets out from beneath us then covered our bodies and held him close when he cuddled against me. He was warm with afterglow, but shivering slightly. I brushed his brunette bangs aside, kissed his forehead, then smirked and spoke in a low, teasing voice.

"How was I?"

He drew in a shaky breath, looked up at me then quickly captured my lips in a brief kiss. After parting, he tucked his head under my chin and rested sleepily on my chest. "Very good."

I scoffed and ran a hand down his back, teasing the base of tail when my fingertips reached it. He gave a small whine that transgressed to a purr. "_Good_, huh?"

"I said 'very'," he sighed, burying his face before continuing softly, "you were amazing."

Satisfied with that, I smiled and ran my hand along his tail. It stiffened slightly though only a fraction of as much as before. "How are you feeling?"

He gave a tired moan that told me to stop talking. He turned his head to the side and pressed one soft ear against my chest. "Better…" he answered, then mused, "I can hear your heartbeat."

I let go of his tail and felt it swish beneath the sheets. It dawned on me that we wouldn't be talking about the secrecy of our relationship tonight but I found, at that moment, I didn't care.

"…suya?" he mumbled, half-asleep. I smiled and pet him gently.

"Yes, Seto?"

"Love you…"

I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. "I love you, too."


	3. Chapter 3

Note; this is no longer three chapters long. I'll shoot for four but, who knows? 

* * *

><p>I woke the next morning to an empty bed and turned over to find a change of clothes lying on the desk beside me. When I pulled my drowsy body to an upright position and reached for the shirt which lay on top, it unfolded to reveal a shopping tag hanging from the sleeve with the price half torn off. I gave it a queer smile then observed the shirt itself. It was a deep green tee with a black, tribal-esque dragon diagonally across the front. I tore the tag from the sleeve and slipped it on, admiring the comfortable fit. Beneath the tee had been a simple enough pair of dark blue jeans (also brand new) and white-and-light-blue boxers. I blushed as I slipped the latter on; even if we were sleeping together, the thought of someone else buying my underwear was embarrassing. When I stepped into the jeans I found they were a little tight, but not uncomfortably so. Last in the pile was a light black pullover that hung baggily about my frame and opened down the front just enough to show the top of the dragon on my new tee. I reached beneath my shirt and pulled my dog-tags to the front, then bunched up the hoodie sleeves to prevent them from covering my wrists.<p>

"Morning, pup," an oddly cheery voice came from the door. I jumped slightly, not having heard it open, then relaxed and hung my head slightly. He held a mug in one hand (coffee or tea, it was difficult to say) and some paperwork in the other. "Sleep well?"

His tail waved behind him contentedly, I noted, and it made me smile. "Yeah, better than usual, in fact."

"Glad to hear it," though he was being sincere, there was a distance to his voice that comforted me. It was nice to know that even though he was in a good mood, he was still focusing on work first thing in the morning.

He crossed to a desk on the far side of the room and set the papers down, logging into his computer with one trained hand while sipping his morning drink with the other. I approached the desk and he turned to give me probably the most sincere smile I'd ever seen. He leaned forward and offered me a soft kiss, then pulled away and licked his smirking lips. I looked away as I felt myself blush, slipping my hands into my pockets timidly.

Seto pulled the chair from its place beneath the desk and sat down to continue typing. He set his mug aside (it was coffee) and went to work as though I wasn't even there. I looked to the door, which he'd left open.

"Is Mokuba back yet?"

"Hm?" he glanced up at me, then back to his screen. "Oh, yeah. He's around here somewhere."

I thought about asking where he'd stayed last night, but decided I didn't care. My stomach rumbled lowly and I blushed again as he smirked up at me. Taking the focus off myself, I asked, "How did _you_ sleep, Seto?"

His ears faulted against his head then twitched as he looked away with a stubborn blush. "Fine."

"Just fine?" I taunted, petting him gently. I leaned over and added quietly, "you went out like a light."

His shoulders tensed and his tail began swishing angrily against the chair. "I was exhausted."

His voice was a low growl but I heard it well enough. I removed my hand from his head and turned to walk away. "I'll bet you were."

I made it to the door before he spoke again, "Katsuya?"

I paused and looked back, "yeah, Seto?"

He turned in the chair to face me and was smiling again, "they look good on you. The clothes, that is."

I blushed and looked down, realizing I'd forgotten to say thank you. Instead, I asked, "you think so?"

His smile faded and his tail waved thoughtfully. "Yeah."

He began to turn around again but I called his name and he looked back. I walked back, placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to claim his lips in a firm kiss. He relaxed into it and parted his lips slightly so I eased my tongue into his mouth. He let out a small, appreciative moan and rested one hand on the back of my neck before returning the affection. When we parted, he looked at me expectantly; I smiled and stared back sincerely as I could.

"Thank you. I love them."

He blushed and tried to adopt his usual look of indifference. "You didn't have to say that."

"You're right," I grinned, "I said it 'cuz I meant it…" I paused for thought before adding, "Though the trousers are a little small."

His lips parted in a devious smirk. "Are they?" he gazed at my lower body almost hungrily then reached out and firmly grasped my butt. I let out a small yelp of surprise and he glanced up, seeming very amused. He slid his hand down the slight curve of my backside and trailed his fingertips along my toned thighs. He commented absently, "I think they fit just right," then seamlessly removed his hand from my body and returned to his computer.

I let out a small laugh as I came to realize he'd bought this size on purpose then lightly touched his neck before walking to the door again.

I left the room without a word; I'd never spent the night there before but he would have said something if he didn't want me to go. I looked down the hall, observing the numerous doors, all of which were closed but one. Light pooled into the hall from the open door and I recalled that was Mokuba's room. Having never been in there before, I headed toward it curiously. My stomach gave a protesting growl, this one louder than before, but I ignored it and continued on my way.

Though the door was open, Mokuba was nowhere to be found. The room itself looked like a more compact version of Seto's bedroom, though it was still very large for a preteen. The bed wasn't made (despite not having been slept in the previous night) and one of the folding doors to the closet was propped open. From what I could see, there were two storage bins stacked in the corner and a wide, three-drawer rolling storage unit beside them. His yellow vest was hung up next to his red and orange shirt and a few other tops. The door was blocking the rest of the view but I wasn't really interested in Mokuba's wardrobe. I stepped further into the room and noticed a large dresser against the wall near the door. Atop the dresser stood a proud, wooden vanity; in front of the mirror lay a horsehair brush with loose strands of black hair splaying from its bristles. I chuckled softly and looked around some more, spotting an antique chest next to the bedside table. My tail twitched curiously and I decided it was time to leave before I imposed on his privacy. Before I could turn around his distinct voice piped up from behind me.

"Hey, Katsu-_nii_!"

I resisted the automatic urge to jump in surprise and turned to offer him a nervous smile. "Hey, Mokuba. Sorry about coming in here without asking."

"Oh, it's no big deal," he shrugged, "Seto does it all the time."

I watched as he walked to the vanity and picked up the brush to clean it, dropping the stray hair into a wastebasket beside the bureau before discarding the brush in the top drawer. My hunger made itself known once more and the child's ears perked up as he gazed at me with large, black eyes. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, again," I winked and pointed over my shoulder like a hitchhiker, "I haven't had breakfast yet."

He nodded slowly, lips curling into a smirk and tail waving mischievously. "I'll bet you haven't," he mused, heading back out the door before I could retort. "Come with me, we'll get you something to eat."

When we got to the kitchen, Mokuba dragged a step-stool over to the coffee pot and poured a fresh mug, handing it to me. "It's still hot," he said, grinning, then fetched the creamer after showing me where the sugar was kept. I didn't bother telling him I wasn't big on coffee, it was too amusing watching him run around. He set the creamer next to me and propped his elbows up on the counter, resting his head in his hands. Not once did his tail cease to wave. "Do you like the clothes my brother bought for you?"

My arm jolted, causing some sugar to spill from the spoon and miss my cup. Mokuba chuckled.

"He bought it before he came to pick me up," he explained. "I think he wanted to go early so people wouldn't see him, you know? Seto would never wear something like that, and it's all too big for me, so someone might have guessed he was buying clothes for someone else. Seto wouldn't like that, I'll bet. He doesn't have friends or do favors for people so it would be real suspicious if he was caught buying clothes for someone else."

I allowed Mokuba to rant as I cleaned up the spilled sugar and continued preparing my coffee. I sipped it once and growled at it for being too bitter, which Mokuba found amusing. He then hopped down from his stool and went to the fridge, listing off my breakfast options. My mind wandered and I thought about my cellphone.

I asked Mokuba to set out ingredients for an omelet, explaining that I'd forgotten something in Seto's car and would be right back. He chuckled again and removed a carton of eggs from the fridge.

"It's your phone, right?" the observant child asked. "He took it out this morning. Not sure what he did with it, though."

I suddenly felt tense as well as mildly ill. Seto wouldn't invade my privacy, would he? Then again, if he _had_ been spying on my texts like I thought, this would be a much easier way to do so… but he was smarter than that. If he read my messages before I did, there'd be no way to hide it. I must have paled because Mokuba suddenly looked concerned as he continued removing items from the fridge.

"If you're that worried about it, just go ask him," he said plainly. "Though you should probably eat first; you don't look so well."

I nodded slowly, really wanting my phone but knowing how poorly I functioned on an empty stomach. I pushed my worries aside as well as I could and returned to the counter.

"Woah~," Mokuba cooed over my plate, "that looks really good! Where did you learn to cook, Katsu-_nii_?"

I gave him a half-smile, not wanting to expose a child to my upbringing. I lied, "I just sort of picked it up."

He returned my comment with a look of disbelief then shrugged it off. "Well, whatever. Can I try a bite?"

"Mokuba," a scolding voice came from the dining room entrance. Black ears folded down and all but disappeared into plush, raven-colored hair. I sat down and began eating before Seto even reached the table.

"It's not that great, actually," I commented, cutting a bit with my fork and offering it to the child. "Guess it's 'cuz I'm not familiar with your kitchen."

Mokuba looked at the fork, shifted his eyes toward Seto, then to me. I smiled and nodded my approval.

"Are you crazy?" he commented after taking the bite. "That's the best omelet I ever had!"

I laughed and continued eating, waiting for Seto to sit down or even speak. When he didn't, Mokuba looked up at him.

"What's wrong big brother? Why are you so quiet?"

A pause, followed by a sigh, "Mokuba, I need to talk to Katsuya… alone. Could you go upstairs?"

One soft, black ear cocked to the side; the other twitched. "Okay, Seto…"

The child offered me a wave but no audible goodbye before disappearing from the room. I looked up and watched Seto's brown ears rotate like a satellite searching for a signal. My own blonde, dog-ears lifted and honed in on the sound of footsteps padding up the stairs. When Mokuba was presumably out of earshot, Seto pulled a chair out and sat down. He removed something from his pocket and placed it on the table; when he moved his hand away it was revealed to be my cellphone. I stopped in mid-bite and pushed my plate aside, picking up the small device without taking my eyes from him. He leaned back in the chair nonchalantly.

"Why so suspicious, pup?" he gave an indifferent nod toward the device I now held. "It died in the car last night. I charged it for you. Never even turned it on."

I looked down and held the phone's disconnect button. Sure enough, it powered on and I felt a wave of both relief and guilt. When it reached the background and began load the messages, it seemed to take longer than usual and – for a moment – I held my breath. Then the alert popped up, two new messages now, and when I checked my inbox everything else was as I'd left it.

Though I was eager to read what Yuugi had said (both messages were from him), I pocketed the phone and resumed my breakfast. Seto sat in his chair, still leaning back and eyeing me with some kind of contempt. Finally, I sighed, "I'm sorry."

He leaned forward and held out his hand; I put down my fork and took it. His expression told me he was thinking quite seriously, and I grew nervous wondering what his thoughts might contain. This time, he sighed.

"I don't know why you think you can't trust me, Katsuya, but it's really starting to hurt. You're the only person other than Mokuba that I've ever showed my nicer side to, yet you're still on edge around me. Haven't I done enough to prove that this isn't a game to me? That I'm not out to hurt you, and I actually mean it when I say 'I love you'?"

I felt my jaw hang loosely open, most likely making me look stupid, but what other reaction was there to something like that? Seto Kaiba does not behave this way, Seto Kaiba is not open about his feelings. I closed my mouth, swallowed hard, and glanced toward my pocket. If there was ever a time to bring up the thing I didn't like about our relationship, that was it. I encased his hand with both of mine now and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry my behavior upset you, Seto," I said sincerely, "I love you, and I believe that you love me too. I haven't doubted that once. It's just…" my voice slipped away and I looked aside to compose myself. He brought his free hand to my face and touched me gently. When I glanced back, he was smiling. I cleared my throat and continued before I could change my mind, "I just can't stand keeping it a secret anymore!"

His eyes widened, then narrowed, and his hand slipped from my face. His smile had become a thin line and the hand in between mine twitched as though he'd tried pulling it away. I held my grip and shook my head.

"You knew I didn't like it from the start, but I agreed because I didn't want to lose you before I knew what _having_ you was like," I felt my heart beat faster but I was completely taken by emotion now and couldn't stop, "and I don't regret that one bit. Being with you is great … I feel safer and happier every day, and even though you didn't say 'I love you' back the first time I said it, you didn't turn me away either, and I knew you'd say it when you were ready… and it was worth the wait because when you _did_ say it I knew you meant it, but I also knew that was it. You made me make a promise to you that day, remember?"

His eyes were focused as he (hopefully) processed what I was saying. Slowly, he nodded and no longer tried to pull his hand away.

"What was it, Seto?" I pried. "I remember, but do you?"

His ears lay back on his head tiredly. "I remember," I think he expected me to continue, but I shook my head and waited. He sighed and placed his other hand over mine. "I made you promise to stay with me forever."

I nodded, lifting my ears hopefully, "that's right, and I said I would. I _promised_, Seto, just like you asked."

His hand was now rubbing mine absently. I loosened my grip and laced our fingers together. He glanced at our hands considerately then returned his eyes to mine. "I know you did, pup, and I know what you're going to say: 'we can't keep it a secret forever.', but I have things riding on my reputation. My company, for one, and Mokuba," he shook his head gravely, "I managed to get around the rules regarding my age because I can provide for him, but if child services found out I was in a same-sex relationship, they would consider me unfit to raise a child."

I listened intently and understood the importance of what he said, but I still wasn't ready to give up. "Alright, so we can't go public until you're old enough to be legally recognized as Mokuba's guardian, right?"

He nodded wearily as he sensed I had more to say. I smiled as comfortingly as I could and leaned across the table to kiss him lightly. He was hardly in the mood to return the kiss, but he didn't reject me either.

"I understand, Seto," I said once I was seated again, "really, I do. I'm sorry I never looked at it that way before… but, if I knew I could trust someone not to tell, could I at least share it with them?"

"You mean your friends," he said pointedly. I lowered my head defensively, knowing what he'd say next, "are you sure you can trust them?"

I tensed but bit back any harsh words that might have escaped. Starting an argument would cause unfixable problems and I wasn't about to do that. "I can trust Yuugi. If I ask him to, he won't even tell the others."

Seto nodded in a surprisingly agreeable fashion, "I believe that, but he hates lying even more than you, I'm sure. What good would it do to have another person itching to out us?"

"He's got more self-control," I explained, "and he'd never do anything to hurt me. Besides," I turned away and felt my face warm with a blush, "I need to know that he's okay with it."

Seto's ears perked up. "What if he isn't?"

"Then I'd have a choice to make, wouldn't I?" I asked, quickly shaking my head and turning back to him. "No, because I made a promise. If Yuugi doesn't support us, I can't be friends with him anymore."

Seto leaned back in his chair. "You're really serious about this, pup?" I nodded slowly; he mimicked the gesture then punctuated it with a sigh, "alright. I know how much your friends mean to you, especially Yuugi. If you're willing to put that on the line, I don't think I can stop you."

I debated telling him he could, very easily, but I didn't want him to know he had that kind of control over me. (Or, if he already knew, I wasn't going to invite him to exercise it now). He stood up and gestured for me to do the same, after which he pulled me into a warm embrace. There was a kind of uncertainty in the way he held me, but when I returned his hold with confidence it helped him to relax. Before we parted, he tilted his head and kissed me firmly, running a hand down my back and along my tail when he reached it. I allowed a soft whine to escape my throat and he hummed a satisfied response. When we parted, he briskly touched his nose to mine then stole another quick kiss. I was startled by the innocent ploys of affection, but he offered a smirk before walking away that reminded me he was still Seto Kaiba… just not the one that everybody knew. This was the Seto Kaiba that once begged lowly Katsuya Jounouchi to promise him 'forever'… the Seto Kaiba whose tell-all animal features had screamed that he was in heat not twenty-four hours earlier. These thoughts brought a stupid grin to my face.

I cleaned up after my breakfast, placing my plate and utensils in the dishwasher then hand-washing the stovetop items I'd used and lastly wiping down the counter. When I retreated to the living room and flopped down on the couch, my phone began to ring and reminded me that I still had yet to check my messages.

"Hey, Yuuge," I remembered to read the caller ID before answering it this time.

"Jounouchi!" he replied in a celebratory voice. "Oh, I was so…"

"Worried?" I grinned. His breath caught in his throat.

"Yeah, alright," he said nervously, probably blushing. Again my body responded to this thought and I began to wonder if I had a crush on my best friend. "Why didn't you answer last night?"

I considered my options for replying to that and decided none of them worked, "never mind that, Yuugi. How would you like to hang out later today?"

I could just picture his long, black ears perking up to full height. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yeah, why not? I owe it to you, don't I?"

"Well, yeah, but," he fidgeted with the phone. "Are you sure it's alright?"

"Of course it is," I looked up at the nearest wall clock; it was still early in the day. "I don't know when I'll be free yet, let me call you back, okay, bud?"

There was a pause before he said timidly, "a…alright. When will…"

"Don't worry, Yuugi," I demanded, "I won't forget you, I promise."

Predictable as he was, Yuugi couldn't doubt a promise. "Okay, Jounouchi. Talk to you later, then."

"Talk to you later," I replied, then hung up. I drew up the messages he'd sent the night before; the first was grave: _I don't know what's going on, Jounouchi, but I hope you really are alright. Call me before you go to sleep, okay? I need to know that you're safe…_

My heart sank as I thought of what he must've felt when I didn't reply to that. The next one was sent in the early hours of the morning, leaving me to wonder if he even slept. Reading it gave me an answer, but it wasn't comforting: _Jounouchi, I hope you have a good reason for not honoring Aibou's request. I know you're alright but he won't believe me and would have continued to refuse sleep if I wasn't here. Be prepared to make this up to him._

I sighed and debated replying but shook my head and put my priorities in order. Talking to Seto came first.


End file.
